Demons
by The Goddess of the Night
Summary: Pale lavender eyes stared unblinkingly back at me from within the mirror shards. We're reflections supposed to show eyes filled with malice and unrestrained hatred? We're those killer's eyes my own? The byakugan was meant to see all, yet I only saw death.
1. Prologue: Lilac Lines

Prologue: Lilac Lines

Pale lavender eyes gazed back at me from the mirror shards. Were reflections supposed to show eyes filled with malice and unrestrained hatred? The byakugan was meant to see all, so why did I only see death?

\- X -

"Aww, she's adorable!"

"Hn."

"Hiashi, don't be like that. Look around her eyes!"

"What-" Hiashi was speechless. Around the infant's eyes were small veins, but instead of how they would have bulged if the byakugan was active, they were glowing. The shimmering lavender lines all lead to two spots- the infant's eyes, still covered with paper-thin lids.

"Hmm... Wonder what it is. A mutated byakugan, or just an infantile, activated one?"

"If the former, then the arrangements will be made to transfer her into the Branch Family."

"-And if the latter, she's a prodigy. Don't speak so lightly of abandoning family, you of all people should know the repercussions." Hitomi chastised, flicking her husband lightly on the shoulder.

Hiashi stiffened, then spoke in a quiet voice. "The elders would force me to. It's not as if I want another Neji, with a dark past causing a dreary future."

"Remind me, why haven't we killed all the elders yet?"

The infant squealed at the exact moment those words left the Hyuuga matriarch's lips, cutting off anything that Hiashi could have said. Of course, Hitomi, being the doting mother that she was, immediately picked up her child and wrapped her arms around her protectively.

"What should we name her?"

Hiashi's lips twisted in a cruel smile. "Unmei, fate."

Hitomi stared at her husband as if he were a madman. "Are you purposely trying to spite Neji-kun?"

"No. Yes. Maybe."

"...Idiot. Fine, Unmei Hyuuga it is. Welcome to the Hyuuga clan, Unmei-chan!"

Hitomi's only response were blinking eyes, the byakugan evidently active within their pale lavender depths.

\- X -Three years later- X -

"Neji-nee!"

"What ever is the matter, Unmei-san?"

"You have a stick up your ass."

Neji sputtered. "Ex-Excuse me, Unmei-san?"

Said girl giggled, jumping onto her cousin's back. "Nothing~" She sang, still giggling, while Neji sighed at her antics.

"Hiashi-sama should be training you now, no?"

"He is training me. I'm a lilac clone."

Cue another sigh from Neji. "And since when have you been able to form clones out of flower petals from nowhere?"

"Twenty-three seconds ago!" Unmei chimed, her eyes shining, basking in the glory of her achievement.

"Does Hiashi-sama-" Neji spat out the clan head's name like a curse, "-know that you have come to visit me via clone?"

"Nope! But I love you too much to care!"

"You know this thing called 'incest'?"

"Awh, is Neji-kun interested in his younger cousin?"

Neji slightly blushed, cursing the fact that the small girl always knew which strings to pull to get a reaction out of him. She'd be a fine puppeteer. "No. You're the one who said you loved me."

"Bah!"

Neji walked on, his cheerful cousin- well, clone of said cousin- still stubbornly clinging to his back, her delicate arms slung around his neck. 'I truly do wonder how much of a prodigy she really is. Anyhow, did Hiashi-sama name her 'fate' just to spite me? It seems quite likely.' He mused, taking a turn in the hallways to head towards his private training grounds. It wouldn't matter if Unmei knew the location, as he trusted her enough not to tattle.

He set the clone down once he reached the training grounds, eliciting a drawn-out, dramatic whimper from the girl. Ignoring it- prompting a pout- Neji began going through the kata for the Gentle Fist, making sure each stance was as accurate as could be.

This continued for a while, before Unmei suddenly cut in, "Your legs are too spread apart. Bring your left foot in a little, and raise your right elbow just slightly."

Neji huffed, but shifted his stance regardless of his dislike of a younger Main Family member criticizing his stance. As he went through the kata again, he soon found that Unmei's suggestions proved useful, as his movements became more fluid and when he would have become slightly sore at the end, he simply felt relieved muscles.

"...Thank you, Unmei-san."

"That's Unmei-chan to you, Neji-kun."

He continued training in silence. However, the clone soon got irritated by his silent ways, and Neji was suddenly prodded in the back of his head by two fingers.

Unmei leant forward, whispering right by his ear, "If I had put chakra into that strike, your brain would be mush."

Neji's eyes narrowed, and he spun around, lashing out towards the clone with quick, efficient strikes.

Unmei grinned, "That's more like it!"

None of his hits met their mark. The clan heiress was evidently more flexible and agile than he, but her strikes were more gentle, and a few of her strikes wouldn't have even caused any damage, regardless of the chakra in the blow. Of course, when fighting against the Gentle Fist, agility was everything, with how you couldn't block without losing feeling in that particular area.

Both participants in the spar soon found themselves enjoying the match, accepting it as a welcome difference from the typical stiff schedule for training that the Hyuuga typically applied to their training sessions.

Dodge, jab, twirl, look like a ballerina, poke, giggle, slam a palm strike in a vital area. "...I concede. Thank you for your help, Unmei...chan."

"Yay! Neji-nee noticed me!"

"..."

Unmei smiled, her genuine, childish Cheshire grin. "Anything for you, my love."

"What?"

The clone dissipated in a swirl of lilac petals, leaving a slightly happier Neji with slightly rose-tinted cheeks.

\- X -Two years later- X -

"Unmei-chan, I'm enrolling you in the ninja Academy, along with Neji-kun."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama." Both Unmei and Neji spoke. Neji and Unmei bowed, letting Hiashi's stern gaze sweep over their posture for a moment.

Satisfied, he continued, "I expect the best performance from the both of you, especially you, Unmei. Rookie of the Year, at the very least."

"Yes, father."

"Good." His expression softened as his gaze shifted to his brother's son, hesitating briefly. "I expect the best from you as well. If Unmei does not receive the aforementioned title, I expect you to have it, and then she should be Kunoichi of the Year, yes?"

"Of course, Hiashi-sama." The two children chorused, still bowing.

"Now leave. I have paperwork to attend to, elders to plan assassinations for." The last bit was spoken in a hushed whisper, Hiashi's eyes narrowing.

Both Neji and Unmei did not comment, wisely striding outside the room in the manner that screamed Hyuuga.

Once outside, and outside the hearing of her father, Unmei commented, "Aren't I two years too young for the Academy?"

"Hiashi-sama evidently has much faith in your prodigal status."

Unmei sighed, walking in the direction of the clan compound's gardens. "Too much faith, if you ask me. Is he trying to make me a weapon or some such?"

"Shinobi are weapons who only serve their village. Have you forgotten?"

"I'd like to."

"Such blasphemous talk will only earn you an exile."

"That might be nice, too."

Neji sighed. Nothing seemed to affect Unmei's childish beliefs of a peaceful world.

After a while of comfortable silence, where the two walked side by side, Unmei spoke, her voice a tad bit quieter than the norm. "I don't believe in peace, you know."

Neji arched an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue.

"It's just that... Well, humans shouldn't be weapons for other humans. In the end, if we're trained too well, we're easily susceptible to feelings of hatred, desire for revenge. We could exceed our mentors, and for people with dark intentions, that could cause betrayals left and right."

"That's exactly what the Caged Bird seal is for, Unmei-chan." Neji spoke bitterly, fingering the cloth that covered his forehead, and the seal that lay on top.

Silence reigned once more, Unmei reaching out to hold Neji's hand reassuringly. "I'll find a way. I'll break the seal, just wait for me, 'kay Neji-kun?"

Neji walked on in silence, hand in hand with Unmei. His words went unspoken. 'I know you will.'


	2. Chapter 1: Shattered Glass

Demons (Ch1)

Chapter 1: Shattered Glass

\- X -

AN: Thanks to all those who favorited/followed my story! It's one of my first, and it truly makes me happy to see so many enjoying my story. Especially those who reviewed, this chapter is really all for you guys, supporting me as I write.

Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own the ramen-loving maniac known as Naruto. Nor do I own Neji Hyuuga, or any other character besides Unmei, as sad as it makes me.

\- X -

"...'Cuz I'm only a crack, in this castle of glass, hardly anything-"

Neji prodded his cousin in the ribs, hissing, "Silence! What would your father say if he saw you singing in public?"

"He'd give me a few jyuken strikes in uncomfortable places. Or would you rather do that for me, Neji-kun?"

"When did you- Never mind. We have an image to keep, act like a Hyuuga."

Unmei sighed in resignation, stiffening her spine and striding forward with her head held high, the traditional white robes of the Hyuuga not touching the floor once as she swept past the clan compound's guards. They nodded briefly, receiving a quiet "Good morning" in return from the Hyuuga heiress.

The trip to the Academy's main entrance was rather uneventful, most pedestrians moving out of their way respectfully, recognizing the attire of the Hyuuga. Unmei, of course, had briefly waved and smiled at some of the passerby, letting those who seemed to be in more of a hurry pass, standing off to the side of the road during those short moments. Neji had immediately hissed and grabbed her sleeve, ushering her forward, mumbling something that sounded like "Hyuuga are respected; we don't let other people pass, they will think us weak."

"Or maybe they'll think that we are kind, and simply respect us more for it."

"Hn."

They walked, keeping a comfortable silence, Unmei fiddling with a senbon hidden in her sleeve, Neji walking stiffly with a cold, calculating gaze.

When they arrived, they took a place near the front of the crowd, with the other children. Unmei shyly hid halfway behind her cousin, gaze flashing around.

"Welcome to the Academy! From this day forward, you will all be training to become wonderful Shinobi, learning skills vital to the ninja lifestyle. Now, adults, if you would please leave. The classrooms unfortunately do not have enough space to hold all these people. I'm sure your children can tell you all about their day when they get home." A man with a scar across his nose kindly smiled, and the adults slowly wandered away, some more reluctant to leave their children.

The smiling man led them all into a rather crowded classroom, leaving Unmei desperately clinging onto Neji's sleeve, repeating to herself under her breath, "Must not get peasants' sweat on clothes, must not get peasants' sweat on clothes, must not get..."

Neji glanced down at the shivering mass of flesh and cloth that was formerly known as Unmei, and poked her shoulder awkwardly. Putting a bit of chakra into the strike, he sent a jolt of pain through her arm.

Unmei let out a small moan, loosening her grip on Neji's arm, causing said boy to stare at her, a bewildered expression on his face.

"Did you just-?"

Unmei blushed, slapping her cousin's arm. "You didn't hear anything."

"Oh, is my cousin a masochist, by any chance?"

"Shut it, Neji. Scar-face-sensei is talking."

His eyebrow arched upward at the nickname she had given to their sensei, but let it pass, as said sensei truly did begin speaking.

"As you can see, we will not be able to fit all the students into one classroom. The class will be split into thirds, one staying with me, Iruka, another going with Mizuki," The newly dubbed Iruka gestures toward Mizuki, "and the final third will be going with Kazuhiro. All students will be given a written test, and then split up accordingly. If you score a high grade, you may be able to skip a year in the Academy, or just be put in advanced classes. Scoring low, of course, will have the opposite effect. Understood?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei!" The students dutifully replied, bringing a smile onto the man's face.

"Good. Now, Mizuki will be calling the names of those who will be going with him, and Kazuhiro will soon do the same. The remaining students whose names have not been called shall remain."

\- X - Timeskip - X -

All the students who had left came back after the one-hour test. Many were sending around whispers of "too easy," "aww, I didn't get that one!" Neji had taken his place by Unmei's side, protecting her from the gazes of the other students. 'Hiashi-sama would kill me if his daughter were to get a perverted stalker on the first day of school.'

"Neji-kun, what are you doing?"

"You're not allowed to have fanboys, Unmei-chan."

Unmei glared at any male that came close, byakugan activated. Needless to say, none of the students won a staring contest with a Hyuuga.

To their annoyance, a loud cry of "YOSH!" broke their sacred silence. The speaker was a long-haired student with his hair in a braid, who was punching the air excitedly. "LET OUR FLAMES OF YOUTH EXPLODE!"

"...creep." Unmei muttered, earning a nod from Neji in return.

A few snickers went around, pitying the poor soul that was criticized by the Hyuuga.

"Alright, students, would you please quiet down?"

The entire class kept chatting, already disrespecting their sensei. Iruka, evidently angered, flashed through hand seals, enlarging his head and shouting, "SILENCE!"

"My ears are dying, Neji-kun... Must everyone be so loud?"

Neji simply silenced her with a glare, ignoring the whimpers from the heiress.

As the students were separated into their respective classes, Unmei clutched Neji's hand, hoping that they would be put into the same class. They had both completed the test, after all.

"...Neji Hyuuga, and Unmei Hyuuga. Please exit with Kazuhiro-sensei for your class. Congrats to you, all of you listed have performed well enough to skip a grade. If you continue your excellent showing, then you may be able to be put into further advanced classes and graduate early, although that is frowned upon unless in a time of war."

Unmei followed their new sensei, dragging an irked Neji behind.

\- X - Timeskip (I don't think I need to elaborate on Academy teachings) - X -

"That was... boring."

"Nothing's interesting to you, Unmei-chan."

"You are."

Neji sighed in resignation, knowing that he would lose whatever argument that started on this topic. They were walking back to the compound after a relatively dull day at the Academy. After all, today had been full of teachers babying the 'newbies,' giving the Hyuuga duo easier tasks to ease them into the advanced class, where the students were older by at least a year. Neji had been ready to slam his hands on the table and demand that Kazuhiro-sensei give them equal, or harder, tasks. Basic taijutsu? He must've forgotten that the Hyuuga specialized in the said area. Introduction to the concept of chakra? Idiots.

"Neji-nee, your face is scrunching up again. Angry?"

"Who wouldn't be, if the teachers won't take you seriously?"

"Point taken."

They walked the rest of the way to the compound in silence, the only sounds being the murmurs of pedestrians and the random bird chirping. Once there, they went their separate ways, Unmei to her father to tell about her day and later train, and Neji to his training grounds. After all, he had no one to talk to about his day besides Unmei, and she had gone.

He was alone. Just the way it had always been since his father's death.

\- X -

"Neji-kun?"

Said boy glanced towards the source of the voice, irked by the sudden intrusion upon his privacy. "What is it, Unmei?"

"No -chan?" The girl teased, slight giggles escaping her mouth.

"... Shut it, Unmei-kouhai."

"Hey! I'm not that much younger than you!"

"Three years isn't a lot?"

"Age doesn't matter in the face of true love!" Unmei reached out, prodding Neji's cheek teasingly. "Stop being such a stuck-up jerk, nii-san."

He sputtered, slapping her hand away. "I am n-not a-"

"Bah! C'mon, I have something to show you! Why did you think I would suddenly barge into your room anyway?"

"Just to be horrible."

Unmei pouted, fake tears glistening down her face. "I never knew you thought so lowly of me. Oh, whatever, hurry up!" She raced off into the hallway, heading towards the garden.

"What did I ever do to deserve such a fate, Kami-sama?" Neji groaned, reluctantly rising up from his meditative position and heading after Unmei.

\- X -

He walked in on the giggling girl when she had an aurora of green, blue, and purple chakra shimmering around her, lighting up the small expanse of flowering land that made the garden. The light soon calmed down, focusing itself into a snake-like shape that wrapped around one of Unmei's legs and all the way up her body to rest on a shoulder. It hissed slightly at Neji, inquisitively reaching out its nose to prod at his arm.

He stiffened at the contact. The chakra construct felt solid, unlike any chakra he had expelled from his body. "What is the meaning of this?"

"This snakey thing is Tsumi! She's a demon who decided to wander up here and possess something, and I just so happened to be born at the exact same time, so we kinda shared a body. She finally agreed to let me try to form my chakra into a shape so she could possess that instead, cuz you know, having a split mind feels weird sometimes." She scrunched up her face in disgust, stroking the snake's scales to calm down.

Neji let out a rattled breath. "And how long have you known that you hosted a demon?"

"Since I could form coherent thoughts."

"And you aren't afraid of having your body taken over and your consciousness shoved to the side like a discarded piece of trash?"

"No." Unmei's voice went oddly monotone, her eyes slightly changing into the same color as her glowing green-blue-purple chakra. "I am Tsumi's tool, a way for her to make things right. Balance must be maintained, no matter the cost." Her eyes went back to normal after she had spoken, her normal perkiness back.

Neji narrowed his eyes. Was that just the demon talking, or was it the cousin he had known for so long? It didn't seem like her. "Unmei... Are you alright?"

"Why would you ask that?" Her head tilted, and she blinked owlishly.

"Your eyes went weird for a while, and it didn't seem like you were talking." Did she remember what she said?

"Oh, that was me. Balance has to be kept; good always comes along with bad, and it's my- no, our job to keep things right."

"Our?"

"Tsumi and I."

His eyes narrowed. She already accepted the demon, so why couldn't he? They were known to be notorious, evil creatures, so why was Unmei so casually taking about it?

The glowing chakra shifted again, dissipating to return to the loose cloud it was before it had been a snake. A few seconds later, it disappeared, and if Neji hadn't known that it was there before, he'd have thought there was nothing wrong with Unmei. He tried turning on his byakugan; the chakra wasn't visible. "Did the dem- Tsumi return to your mind?"

"No. Her brand of magic replaced the chakra, and it can become invisible and intangible."

Neji sighed- he seemed to be doing that far more often- and rubbed his temples. Why was having a cousin so... troublesome?

\- X -

AN: My, my. Is darling Neji-kun turning into a Nara? And who is Tsumi, exactly?


End file.
